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One method to achieve freeze prevention in vaccine carriers is to condition ice-packs that are normally frozen to temperatures as low as -20°C. Conditioning ice-packs involves partially thawing ice-packs in accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) procedure EVM-SOP-E7-04. According to the WHO procedure, an ice pack is considered properly conditioned after it has been left outside the freezer for long enough to stabilize at 0°C.In a preliminary study, it was found that conditioning time depends heavily on separation distance and percentage of shared border with other ice-packs. There was also evidence that conditioning time depends, though to a lesser degree, on the total size of a group of ice-packs conditioned together (including those not immediately adjacent). The data collected indicated that conditioning times for ice packs frozen at –25°C in 20°C to 23°C ambient temperatures can vary by up to 39 minutes, depending on ice-pack configuration. This finding has significance to operating procedures at cold chain points: if operators do not condition ice-packs using a consistent procedure, conditioning time could vary widely and could potentially risk exposing vaccines to freezing temperatures.

This poster describes the results of applying a package of malaria interventions (the use of proven vector control tools, expanding access to malaria treatment through case management, clearing parasites through selective use of mass drug administration, and improved surveillance including at both facility and community levels) to Mulobezi District in Western Province, Zambia.

This poster summarizes key findings from the Zambia National Malaria Indicator Survey 2018.

Scaling up access to oxygen is a multifaceted challenge that cuts across health areas and requires technical, financial, and political solutions. The National Scale-Up of Medical Oxygen Implementation Plan is the first policy of its kind to coordinate oxygen stakeholders and provide long-term guidance for scaling oxygen access in Uganda.

India continues to be one of the most populous countries on the planet and, consequently, faces immense health challenges due to its growing population. Since 1978, PATH has been working with public and private partners in India to develop local solutions, support homegrown innovation, and share our technical expertise. PATH develops, introduces, and scales up cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to tackle existing diseases and emerging health concerns. A few of our many successes in India include finding new methods to deliver nutritious food to schoolchildren, creating and implementing successful public-private partnership models to combat diseases, and expanding access to lifesaving vaccines for new mothers and their infants.